19 arrested as toxic milk toll exceeds 1,200 infants

The number of infants made ill by tainted milk powder doubled yesterday to 1,253 - more than twice the number previously acknowledged - as police announced the first arrests in the scandal. The health ministry said a second infant had died of kidney failure after drinking Sanlu formula laced with melamine. Sanlu says suppliers who sold the raw milk allegedly added the chemical, which is used in plastics, to boost protein content. Zhang Zhenling, the Sanlu vice-president, said: "We feel really sad about this." Police have arrested 19 people, including two brothers who ran a milk collection centre. Associated Press in Beijing

Dog dials 911 after owner suffers seizure

A German shepherd dog saved his owner's life by calling the emergency services when the man had a seizure. During a recording of the call to 911, Buddy is heard whimpering and barking after the controller, Chris Trott, repeatedly asks if the caller needs help. Joe Stalnaker spent two days in hospital and recovered from the seizure after officers in Scottsdale, near Phoenix, responded to the call. They said Stalnaker's address was flagged in the system with a notification that a trained assistance dog could call the emergency services when the owner was incapacitated. Associated Press in Phoenix

Ramadan cash handout triggers deadly stampede

At least 23 people were killed yesterday in a stampede after crowds battled to get their share of alms handed out as a Ramadan gift. The dead, mostly women, were crushed against railings or trampled to death after several thousand people surged forward to receive the cash in the east Java town of Pasuruan. Eight others were in a critical condition after the crowd tried to claim between just 30,000 and 40,000 rupiah (£1.59 and £2.13) each. The town's mayor, Aminurohman, said: "It's an annual activity. But there were a lot more people lining up today than in previous years." Ian MacKinnon in Bangkok

Bosnian Muslim general is jailed for cruelty

The Yugoslav war crimes tribunal convicted a former commander of the Bosnian Muslim army yesterday of cruelty towards Bosnian Serb prisoners, who were forced to kiss the severed head of a fellow captive, but acquitted him of murder. General Rasim Delic was sentenced to three years in prison because Islamic volunteers under his command abused the prisoners in the summer of 1995. Delic is the most senior Bosnian Muslim officer convicted by the court in its 15-year history. Bosnian Serb president Rajko Kuzmanovic called the verdict a "flagrant violation of international law". Associated Press in The Hague